SOC 53-7021 · Tulsa, OK metro

Crane and Tower Operators Salary in Tulsa, OK

The average salary for crane and tower operators in Tulsa, Oklahoma is $70,390 a year ($33.84 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $76,400: half of the 200 people in this job in the Tulsa, OK metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($74,612).

$70,390average per year

$33.84 / hourMedian $76,400Take-home ≈ $55,727

  • $48K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $76KMedian
  • $78K75th
  • $82K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

200people in this job
-6%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 2Oklahoma metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Crane and Tower Operators pay range in Tulsa

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $82,500 or more. The middle half of crane and tower operators in Tulsa earn between $56,750 and $78,160.

  • $48K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $76KMedian
  • $78K75th
  • $82K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$70,390$5,866$33.84
Median$76,400$6,367$36.73
Entry level (25th percentile)$56,750$4,729$27.28
Experienced (75th percentile)$78,160$6,513$37.58

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Crane and Tower Operators salary after taxes in Tulsa

On the average salary of $70,390, a single filer in Tulsa takes home about $55,727 a year, or $4,644 a month and $2,143 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

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Is Tulsa a good place for crane and tower operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Tulsa area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.2), so the average $70,390 buys what about $78,900 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Tulsa ($46,670). A typical home costs $253,725, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $70,390 is worth in another city

Crane and Tower Operators salary in other Oklahoma cities

Tulsa ranks 1st of 2 Oklahoma metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Crane and Tower Operators salaries in Oklahoma

Highest-paying cities for crane and tower operators

Honolulu, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,530).

Crane and Tower Operators salary by city

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Crane and Tower Operators salary in Tulsa: questions

How much do crane and tower operators make an hour in Tulsa?

$33.84 an hour on average, and $36.73 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level crane and tower operators salary in Tulsa?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $56,750, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the crane and tower operators take-home pay in Tulsa?

About $55,727 a year ($4,644 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,390.

Do crane and tower operators earn more in Tulsa than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($74,612).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-7021; area Tulsa, OK (46140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.1%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.59, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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